Lot
1135 
(Phonography) Phonography, allover ornamental Ben Pitman advertising design on fresh cover to West Northwood, N.H., franked with 1851, 3¢ dull red tied by light town postmark, 1856 docketing on reverse, Extremely Fine, a lovely cover and design. Estimate $300 - 400.
Sir Isaac Pitman was an Englishman who invented phonographic shorthand, or phonography, a shorthand system based on phonetics. As it could be adapted to a wide variety of languages, it became one of the most widely used systems in the world. It was his brother, Benn, who popularized phonography in America.